Billy Winn Golf Tournament is Aug. 2

Saturday

Jul 26, 2014 at 6:00 AM

By Jan Gottesman MANAGING EDITOR

CLINTON – Billy Winn may have died in 2010, but he continues to help people throughout his hometown, especially graduating seniors.

The fifth annual Billy Winn Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, Aug. 2, at Stow Acres Country Club, with a 1 p.m. shotgun start; golfers check in at noon. The cost is $145 per golfer, $40 for dinner only.

"Billy Winn was a family man who always worked hard to support his wife and four children in all endeavors," said his daughter Marykate Winn. "He gladly gave of himself — his time, his passion and his dedication for their benefit. He became very involved in his children's athletic careers and soon became deeply involved in the Clinton Youth Soccer program, stepping in as both coach and league president for several years. Billy lead by example and taught so much more than soccer to the young ladies he coached.

One of his former players said: "We won, we lost, we celebrated victory and we cried over defeat. He taught us about more than just soccer. He taught us to be winners, losers, friends and, more importantly, he was an instrumental part in showing us how to be women of integrity, dignity and pride. He humbled us when we got cocky, consoled us when we were the undying underdog with zero wins. He laughed at us and with us and his laugh was the greatest."

According to daughter Erin Keenan, when her father was coaching, he learned how vital team sports were to the development of their self-esteem and self-confidence.

"The Billy Winn Memorial Scholarship Fund was originally founded to benefit such people," Keenan said. "Students athletes who go about their daily lives, bettering things and people as they go, touching people with their kind and unassuming ways, team players digging deep and playing with heart."

His family chose a golf tournament as the primary fundraiser for the fund "because it was something he enjoyed doing in his free time with his friends and family," Marykate said. Billy Winn was a longtime member of the Thursday night golf league at Berlin Country Club.

"To this day, you cannot come across one of his fellow golfers that does not share a story about him on the course," Marykate said.

"As far back as I can remember, our dad — and mom — always volunteered their time to causes and organizations around town," his daughter, Kelly Michaud said. "He invested most of his time running/coaching clinton youth soccer, where he never turned a child away because they couldn't afford the registration fee, often times paying out of his own pocket to make sure all children in the program had the same opportunities.

"With that spirit in mind; the scholarship fund has been able to do some incredible things over the last five years," Michaud said.

The first tournament was five months after Billy Winn's death.

"We had 156 golfers and many, many sponsors and donors, who contributed to the fund," Keenan said. "We were in awe of the support we received from the community, but were not surprised, as Billy had touched so many lives in his 52 years here. The support from the community has held strong since."

The tournament has been maxing out at 144 golfers each year.

"Through the generosity of the members of our community — past golfers, sponsors and donors — we have been able to donate to other worthy causes that go beyond just graduating students," Marykate said. "While we have awarded the second and third largest scholarships for graduating seniors each year, the Billy Winn Memorial Fund has also donated to countless local charities and causes and we plan to keep expanding it's reach for as long as possible."

Michaud agreed.

"From scholarships for graduating Clinton High Seniors, new goals for Clinton Youth Soccer, new uniforms for Clinton Middle School basketball to supporting numerous families and their loved ones in time of loss or hardship," Michaud said. "This scholarship and its benefactors embody the spirit of our dad."

The biggest goal each year is to honor Billy Winn's memory.

"We honor him by choosing a fun theme for the day. Our themes are always a fun play on some serious qualities or characteristics that our father held dear," Marykate said. "Some past themes have been 'retirement party' on the year that he would have been able to retire. Golfers were given scratch tickets in hopes that maybe they would hit it big and be able to retire. He worked so long to support his family that he looked forward to the day he could retire and enjoy more time with his family."

Michaud said her father was an employee of the Mass. Department of Corrections for over 30 years.

"He was dedicated to his job," Michaud said. "The better part of his career was spent counseling and rehabilitating those inmates willing to take his advice and guidance. He tried to find the good in each person."

During the "perfect pair" theme year, golfers were given a pair of sunglasses and a mustache sticker to wear. Billy could often be seen sporting a cool pair of shades above his characteristic mustache, his daughter said. "The perfect pair" was also an ode to Billy and his wife, Ann, who were a "perfect complement to each other since their high school years and through their 32 years of marriage," Mary Kate said.

This year's theme is "Hat's off to you." Golfers will all be given a commemorative golf tournament hat "as our way of thanking them for their participation and continued support," Keenan said.

Prizes are awarded to the first place team and to men's and women's contest winners of the longest drive, straightest drive and closest to the pin.

"Because he was a recreational golfer who never dreamt of finishing in first place, we also honor the 'most honest' team of the day," Marykate said. "We also like to keep it fun by offering a prize to the team with the best uniform.:

Sponsors help keep golfers' costs low. There are still sponsorship opportunities available.

"One of the best ways we know of to honor Bill's memory is to pay all the good stuff he gave, forward. We do this by raising money and giving it back in his honor, so obviously our goal is also to raise money," Marykate said. "When it comes to making money on event day, our raffle is always the icing on the cake. Golfers and dinner guests are encouraged to purchase raffle tickets to be entered to win some great prizes."

Credit cards will be accepted for day of payments.

Sign up online at billywinn.org.

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